Rep. Rob Hall and Sen. Micheal Bergstrom said on May 5 that Senate Bill 1433, known as the Guidance Transparency Act, has been signed into law in Oklahoma. The new law is intended to increase transparency and accountability in state government by requiring state agencies to make guidance documents publicly available both online and at their principal place of business.
The act aims to give Oklahomans clear access to agency policies and interpretations by ensuring these documents are easily accessible. Agencies must also submit their guidance documents to the Office of Administrative Rules for publication in a searchable, centralized format.
“With this legislation, Oklahoma becomes the first state in the nation to enshrine guidance document transparency into law,” Hall said. “By requiring these documents to be accessible, we’re creating more transparency and helping the public better understand how decisions are made and which government agency documents are legally binding.”
The legislation defines guidance documents broadly as agency statements, memoranda, bulletins, and similar materials that communicate official policy or interpretation but clarifies that such materials do not carry the full force of law unless otherwise authorized.
“With the Guidance Transparency Act now law, we’re correcting internal processes that allowed agencies to act without enough transparency. Guidance documents will now be disclosed to the public and easy to access, resulting in clearer rules and greater accountability,” said Bergstrom.
Senate Bill 1433 requires agencies to regularly update published guidance documents with any amendments or rescissions so that information remains accurate for the public. The measure will take effect on Nov. 1.
